Sep 12, 20233 min read

Graffiti and Abandoned Places.

I would like to preface this blog post by stating that I have never been to Green Hill Discoteca while it was operational. Other than to film and photograph this abandoned club, I have no actual history with this place. You can get further reading links about Green Hill at the end of the blog which have much earlier pictures and history about it.

I do however, have a fascination with abandoned places and with art. In particular, graffiti art.

In Portugal, graffiti is illegal and highly disliked by the local population. But I believe that there is a place for the artform. Seeing as this post is more about places and art, I won't get into my opinions about the subject of graffiti.

I find the artform very intriguing even though I myself am not a graffiti artist (only a beginner graphic artist). Graffiti in abandoned places like this one can be found almost everywhere in Portugal. It can be quite annoying to see graffiti in nice looking neighborhoods or close to beautiful historical buildings that are centuries old. A double-edged sword in a way, because for me, this sometimes combines two things I find fascinating together.

Truth be told, there is a connection of sorts here with what the building represents for me. Being a musician, producer and DJ, I have experienced the closing down of several nightclubs in Canada, where I lived before moving to Portugal. They were places I played at and was part of the community to which I contributed my time, my craft and my friendships. These places will live on in our stories and shared memories.

The emotional connection one forms with these places is only strengthened by the people who form the same connection as you do.

These places don't only re-enforce the culture of the diverse music scene that exist everywhere, they are places where life-long friendships are formed, lovers are found, new sounds and experiences are discovered and so much more. It's a sad day when these places close down. Most of the time, they became something else and their evolution continues. But then there are places like Green Hill that just sit and die a slow death over the course of decades sometimes.

I'm sure there are enough patrons alive today who share their stories with their friends and families about Green Hill. In fact, upon arriving on shoot day, I bumped into a couple who were happy to share stories about the 'old days'. They said that they'd often drive over an hour on motorbikes to come and hang out and dance into the wee morning hours. The guy seemed genuinely saddened by the closing of the club and said that it was one of the most famous in all Portugal in the 80's and 90's.

Green Hill operated consistently for 30 years and people still talk about it today.